Mountain biking. “The Paris Olympics are my career goal”: Hérault resident Victor Koretzky looks back at 2023 and looks ahead to 2024

Lodévois Victor Koretzky is more ready than ever for 2024, with the Olympic Games in focus. MAXPPP – Mohammed Badra

Lodévois Victor Koretzky (29 years old), author of a cannonball end to the 2023 season, approaches 2024 with serenity. The Paris Olympic Games are more than ever his career goal.

If "quiet strength" had to find a face, Victor Koretzky could apply. It's crazy how the elements barely seem to bother him. The ground could slip beneath its wheels, but it would not lose its icy composure. Despite all the adventures that 2023 has in store for him, the results of the year for the 29-year-old Héraultais are more than satisfactory.

With four World Cup victories and a triumph in the test event of the Olympic Games at the end of the season, the 5th of the Tokyo Olympics is preparing for 2024 with a boost in confidence. And it was not won.

Points for the Games

In December 2022, the end of the adventure with B&B Hôtels in a strange context could have dissuaded the mountain biker from continuing the adventure on the road. He finally found a way out with Bora, a World Tour team. Even better.

Enough to start a new project full of enthusiasm ? Mononucleosis prevents him and deprives him of his objectives at the start of the season and finally have fun on the road. Nevermind. He plans for the future. “It doesn't give you confidence, that's true. But the season is super long. The priority remained the second part of the season with selection criteria for the Olympic Games. I prefer it to be in this direction", he explains.

A wedding scheduled for October and a new life for three to manage, while decisive deadlines arrive ? No worries. The 29-year-old from Hérault claims four victories in the MTB World Cup. And above all, he won the Olympic preparation event on the Games circuit at Elancourt Hill.

Also read: D-200 JO PARIS 2024. Our regionals who will be on the podium: for Victor Koretzky, Paris, it will be the right one

If ever the staff of the French team doubted him, the Lodévois quickly set the record straight. "The selection for the Games will be announced at the end of June but I am the only one to have met the selection criteria. That puts me in a good position. I'm the only one standing out from the crowd for the moment, even if the level is very high. It takes away some stress compared to others", he appreciates.

Everything for Paris 2024

With this weight less on his shoulders, Victor knows exactly his roadmap until July. "Over the next seven months, there will be very few races on the program. Apart from World Cup events, I don't go running much. On the other hand, there will be a lot of courses and training, explains the person concerned.

Road map of Victor Koretzky

– April 12-14: Mairipora, Brazil.
– April 19-21: Araxa, Brazil.
– May 24-26: Nove Mesto, Czech Republic.
– June 14-16: Val di Sole, Italy.
– June 21-23: Crans-Montana, Switzerland.
– July 5-7: Les Gets, France.
– July 28-29: the Olympic Games.
– August 28-September 1: UCI world championships: Pal Arinsal, Andorra.

The objective is simple: to collect the medal in Paris on July 29. "That's my career goal. That's the thing I miss. And I think I have the level to get there." 

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